Bored at the gym

mhwitt74
mhwitt74 Posts: 159 Member
Seems like I have hit a wall at the gym. I have been going for about 4 months now consistently. I think I have just gotten bored especially on the treadmill. I did change up my routine lifting routine yesterday and that seemed to help. Other than the treadmill what other types of fat burning cardio can you guys suggest?
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Replies

  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
    Unless the weather is extremely awful where you live, or you need to workout at hours where your area is not safe to be outdoors, go for a walk as part of your warm up. Like walk to the gym if it is close enough, or park your car a few blocks away and walk to the gym.
    If treadmill is not used just for warm up for some other routine, then try different things:
    - join a cardio class at your gym. Try different ones, one will probably work for you
    - skip the gym and go walking, jogging, cycling instead
    - join a dance studio
    - try martial arts
    - join the pool
    - go hiking
    - look what other options are available where you live: indoor climbing, spinning, folk dancing?
    - see if any of your friends or neigbours are interested in scheduling a weekly basketball game, tennis game, football, running together or whatever else you might have in common
  • mhwitt74
    mhwitt74 Posts: 159 Member
    aggelikik wrote: »
    Unless the weather is extremely awful where you live, or you need to workout at hours where your area is not safe to be outdoors, go for a walk as part of your warm up. Like walk to the gym if it is close enough, or park your car a few blocks away and walk to the gym.
    If treadmill is not used just for warm up for some other routine, then try different things:
    - join a cardio class at your gym. Try different ones, one will probably work for you
    - skip the gym and go walking, jogging, cycling instead
    - join a dance studio
    - try martial arts
    - join the pool
    - go hiking
    - look what other options are available where you live: indoor climbing, spinning, folk dancing?
    - see if any of your friends or neigbours are interested in scheduling a weekly basketball game, tennis game, football, running together or whatever else you might have in common

    We do go hiking every Sunday and that is always fun. Do cardio classes or some of these other things burn the same or more calories than an hour on the treadmill?
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,706 Member
    mhwitt74 wrote: »
    aggelikik wrote: »
    Unless the weather is extremely awful where you live, or you need to workout at hours where your area is not safe to be outdoors, go for a walk as part of your warm up. Like walk to the gym if it is close enough, or park your car a few blocks away and walk to the gym.
    If treadmill is not used just for warm up for some other routine, then try different things:
    - join a cardio class at your gym. Try different ones, one will probably work for you
    - skip the gym and go walking, jogging, cycling instead
    - join a dance studio
    - try martial arts
    - join the pool
    - go hiking
    - look what other options are available where you live: indoor climbing, spinning, folk dancing?
    - see if any of your friends or neigbours are interested in scheduling a weekly basketball game, tennis game, football, running together or whatever else you might have in common

    We do go hiking every Sunday and that is always fun. Do cardio classes or some of these other things burn the same or more calories than an hour on the treadmill?

    Sure ... probably.

    I like to mix it up with cycling outside, hiking outside, and going to the gym for a spin class or to run/walk on the treadmill or to row.
  • megan_elizabeth8
    megan_elizabeth8 Posts: 216 Member
    I can't stand cardio machines! Like I'm literally bored out of my brains after 30 seconds! Is it possible for you to take the cardio outside? Or, if you're able to, how about some HIIT style training with some moves such as skipping, box jumps and burpees to get the heart rate up?
    We all have our different preferences, so I can't tell you what is going to work for you. Sure, you can choose a certain exercise that'll burn the most calories, but if you hate every minute of it, it's not worth it to me and it's so much harder to keep going. Find something you enjoy and it'll be so much easier to stick to! :smile:
  • ocrXfitter
    ocrXfitter Posts: 123 Member
    I can't stand cardio machines! Like I'm literally bored out of my brains after 30 seconds! Is it possible for you to take the cardio outside? Or, if you're able to, how about some HIIT style training with some moves such as skipping, box jumps and burpees to get the heart rate up?
    We all have our different preferences, so I can't tell you what is going to work for you. Sure, you can choose a certain exercise that'll burn the most calories, but if you hate every minute of it, it's not worth it to me and it's so much harder to keep going. Find something you enjoy and it'll be so much easier to stick to! :smile:

    This is pretty much what I was going to say.

    Something like: 20 min AMRAP of 10 box jumps, 10 burpees, 10 wall balls, 10 cleans, and a 200m sprint.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
    mhwitt74 wrote: »
    aggelikik wrote: »
    Unless the weather is extremely awful where you live, or you need to workout at hours where your area is not safe to be outdoors, go for a walk as part of your warm up. Like walk to the gym if it is close enough, or park your car a few blocks away and walk to the gym.
    If treadmill is not used just for warm up for some other routine, then try different things:
    - join a cardio class at your gym. Try different ones, one will probably work for you
    - skip the gym and go walking, jogging, cycling instead
    - join a dance studio
    - try martial arts
    - join the pool
    - go hiking
    - look what other options are available where you live: indoor climbing, spinning, folk dancing?
    - see if any of your friends or neigbours are interested in scheduling a weekly basketball game, tennis game, football, running together or whatever else you might have in common

    We do go hiking every Sunday and that is always fun. Do cardio classes or some of these other things burn the same or more calories than an hour on the treadmill?

    If you can actually run for an hour on the treadmill, (1) you are an incredibly patient person and (2) it is time to skip the gym and start training for a half marathon.
    When it comes to calories burned, it depends on what you are comparing: an hour of walking on the treadmill vs an intense basketball game? An hour of running on the treadmill vs a very leisurely swim?
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    Cardio in the gym is sacrilege (unless the weather outside prevents it).
  • Muscle_for_Fitness
    Muscle_for_Fitness Posts: 2,198 Member
    Really, anything that gets you out moving will help you burn calories. Higher intensity activities will burn more calories .
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    I would suggest training for a goal rather than exercising for calorie burns.
    Enter an event, do something challenging.
    That's something that will work when you get to goal weight too.

    Or even (radical idea...) do something enjoyable!

    I love cycling outdoors but it's having a definite training goal and purpose that gets me through the necessary evil of indoor work on those days when it would be too easy to slump in front of the TV.
  • kaizaku
    kaizaku Posts: 1,039 Member
    Stairs master is my fav
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
    Or you just have a preference. I know radical idea. :noway:

    I'm pretty sure that's not what's going on here; @mhwitt74 probably doesn't have a preference for the gym over outside, considering the thread title ("bored at the gym").

    Taking it outside is often a way to add some interest or at least some enjoyment to a stale workout. Sunshine, other people, etc, can improve a boring workout for many people, and the sidewalk is a lot like a treadmill except that the scenery keeps changing.
  • hippybagsue
    hippybagsue Posts: 3 Member
    Try ParkRun on a Saturday - fun and free and everybody is really supportive. I'm looking forward to going back after avoiding outside exercise all winter....

    If you can (and if your gym offers it) book a trial Personal Trainer session - you can then copy some/all of their routine
  • Alidecker
    Alidecker Posts: 1,262 Member
    Jump rope and burpees are two things that come to mind....I hate them both :) I go to classes to get my cardio in for the most part.
  • citromarissa
    citromarissa Posts: 1 Member
    mhwitt74 wrote: »
    aggelikik wrote: »
    Unless the weather is extremely awful where you live, or you need to workout at hours where your area is not safe to be outdoors, go for a walk as part of your warm up. Like walk to the gym if it is close enough, or park your car a few blocks away and walk to the gym.
    If treadmill is not used just for warm up for some other routine, then try different things:
    - join a cardio class at your gym. Try different ones, one will probably work for you
    - skip the gym and go walking, jogging, cycling instead
    - join a dance studio
    - try martial arts
    - join the pool
    - go hiking
    - look what other options are available where you live: indoor climbing, spinning, folk dancing?
    - see if any of your friends or neigbours are interested in scheduling a weekly basketball game, tennis game, football, running together or whatever else you might have in common

    We do go hiking every Sunday and that is always fun. Do cardio classes or some of these other things burn the same or more calories than an hour on the treadmill?

    Cardio classes definitely burn more for me---keeps me from wondering what to do next and keeps me motivated. It also helps me stick to routine, because I know I will have the class to go to.
  • DasItMan91
    DasItMan91 Posts: 5,753 Member
    Try cardio kickboxing.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,451 Member
    mhwitt74 wrote: »
    Seems like I have hit a wall at the gym. I have been going for about 4 months now consistently. I think I have just gotten bored especially on the treadmill. I did change up my routine lifting routine yesterday and that seemed to help. Other than the treadmill what other types of fat burning cardio can you guys suggest?
    The problem is: there is no "fat burning cardio".

    Cardio burns calories and improves your cardiovascular system.

    Fat loss happens when there's a deficit and when you're NOT EXERCISING.

    If you eat up to TDEE after doing all the "fat burning cardio" you want, you WON'T burn any fat.

    There are so many other options at the gym to do cardio. Rowing, elliptical, box jumping, rope jumping, boxing, etc.

    If you're bored, then it's too easy for you to do. Have you tried intervals on the treadmill? Nothing like a sprint to kick your *kitten* in interval training.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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